One additional and very nice feature that WP provides is the use of "coaches" to guide a user through a particular task. A "coach" is essentially a series of step-by-step dialogs that appear to a user, leading the user through some task, such as creating a table. At times, there is even a "Show Me" option, which gets WP to peform the action for the user.
The availability of "coaches" does not replace the on-line help manuals, as not all WP features have "coaches". Furthermore, the on-line help manuals provide more indepth information. Still, the "coaches" may be easier (and more fun!) to use for some users rather than the help manuals.
MS Word does not have "coaches", but rather gives examples and demos of some MS Word features. However, these demos pale in comparison to the use of a "coach" in WP. A "coach" leads the user through a task in the actual document, whereas the examples and demos in MS Word are contrived and have nothing to do with the current document.
Note that both the "coaches" in WP and the demos in MS Word can be quite slow in terms of execution time.
For novice users, WP has a separate tutorial invoked from the Help menu. Word has something like a tutorial called Quick Preview, although this seems to be an adaptation of it Examples and Demos feature.
WP surpasses MS Word in terms of technical support. In the on-line help, WP lists several toll-free telephone numbers for the user to call for help with WP. MS Word also gives the user telephone numbers for technical support, but the calls are charged to the caller. It is interesting to note that MS Word also lists a number that a user can call to suggest enhancements to the software, but that this call is also at the caller's expense! Besides telephone support, MS Word also gives the user other alternatives for finding help. For example, MS Word provides instructions on how to access the MicroSoft Forum on Compuserve.